As Spring is here, we can instinctively start feeling ready to start preparing for the warmer months - spring cleaning is a thing for a reason!
This might look like doing a full clean and declutter at home, rearranging and refreshing furniture, changing our winter habits and routines to embrace the changing season, and feeling more energised and inspired.
Embracing and moving with the seasonal cycles can be really great for our mental health and more aligned with our nature than trying to continue on at one pace all year round.
Spring is the perfect time to do a gentle cleanse or spring clean of the body and mind; a gentle detox and a spring clean of the home to remove clutter from your life can be refreshing, cleansing and revitalising. If you’ve been in more of an introspective, hibernation mode the past few months and you’re ready to spring into the new energy on the season, here are some tips that might inspire you.
1. Drink Warm Lemon Water In The Morning
A glass of warm water with a squeeze of added fresh lemon juice taken first thing in the morning is a great way to start the day - it will help digestion, the liver, and bring vitality to your day.
If you usually drink coffee first up or have been eating heavier foods in winter (as we naturally feel called to do) starting the day with some energising warm lemon water will really help.
Try adding some honey, fresh ginger, and mint to your lemon water to give it a spring freshness.
2. Move Your Body
Just by nature, as the weather starts to change and the days become longer again, the motivation to move will often return (if it disappeared during winter!).
Some of us have the discipline and love of fitness to keep it up all year round, but many of us do not. And - as our energy and motivation returns with the warmer weather - we can feel the desire to get to the gym and start getting ‘summer body ready’.
Let’s be mindful of this social conditioning and find joyful ways to move with our springtime energy and motivation. If you thrive with fitness challenges and cleanses, go for it. But if that’s not your thing, a long, leisurely walk or dance around your house to some upbeat music can also do you the world of good.
Regular exercise is not only good for the mind and body but if you decide to do a gentle detox it is a great way to assist detoxification, by promoting circulation of blood and lymph around the body to aid elimination of waste products and ensure delivery of vital nutrients.
Find what feels good for you because it will be more sustainable and enjoyable. Not only will you be able to stick with something you love, but you’ll feel better as well.
3. Reinvigorate Your Daily Routine
As the mornings become lighter again, we will naturally wake up earlier and start to notice we have more energy as our body adjusts to the change of season.
If there’s a new habit you’ve been wanting to try, why not take the opportunity of a new season as a fresh start to ease into some new rituals or habits?
More than ever, this year has affected our usual routines and that can impact our motivation and general mood on top of the normal hibernation mode of winter. Creating a routine that calms and supports your nervous system and feels really joyful can help during times of stress and uncertainty.
This could look like getting up and going for a walk to start your day, or choosing to read a book in the evening instead of screen time before bed.
4. Spring Clean Your Mind
As well as caring for our physical body, our mental wellbeing and our energy are so important too. If the past few months have felt particularly heavy, a mind spring clean might be what you need right now.
Just as there are many ways to move our body - and each of us will thrive and be drawn to different activities - our mind is the same.
For some, a yoga and mindfulness practice can be really nourishing. For others, journaling every day for 10 minutes can help move the mind clutter out and rejuvenate our head space. You might love meditation, spending time with a loved one, or certain rituals help you feel your best.
Making the most of our five senses can really support the mind and nervous system, so find the things that work for you. You might love to listen to a certain kind of music, feel a soft blanket on you while the mornings and evenings still have a chill to them, or even diffusing some beautiful oils to invigorate the mind (Heaven Scent is a popular lifestyle blend of relaxing and energising oils).
5. Get Some Sun
Vitamin D is important all year round and, as we head into Spring, getting some extra sun can be so nourishing and uplifting to our physical body, our mental wellbeing, and our energy. The sun has wonderful properties that we need to thrive.
As the sun becomes hotter, we may only need 10-20 minutes to get our daily dose of Vitamin D, making it much easier than in the cooler months1. If you’re not yet able to venture too far out, find a place in your backyard or balcony and soak in the first rays of Spring remembering, as the weather gets hotter, to be mindful of how much time we’re in the sun each day.
6. Declutter Your Physical Space
With the arrival of Spring, we so often feel the urge to declutter and clean our physical space. Research shows that clutter in our home can lead to negative feelings and general dissatisfaction with our lives2.
Taking some time to get rid of clutter in the home, clean your space, and shift the energy around you can assist with feeling excited and re-energised for the new season.
You may like to start by organising one room or area at a time, creating piles for things to throw, donate, and keep. Clean the space, find a home for each item you decide to keep before moving onto the next area.
We love citrus scents to create room sprays or natural cleaning sprays to refresh areas of the house. Check out our Benefits and Uses of Lemon Oil for some easy suggestions of why Lemon is a great multipurpose oil for Spring!
7. Clean Out The Fridge And Restock With Fresh Fruit And Veg
Eating seasonally is not just good for local farmers, sustainability and the environment, but it’s also good for the body3.
If you’re more drawn to winter vegetables, soups, and slow cooker recipes in the cooler months, the start of Spring is a great chance to clean out the fridge, throw out anything old or expired, and restock with fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables.
There are many detoxification programs available that you might also like to try to simply balance the body and get rid of toxic build up. You do not require any fasting but just eating clean and taking specific supplements to help reduce the toxins, support detoxification pathways, breakdown free radicals and eliminate waste - make sure to chat to a medical professional before trying a new detox program.
This is a great time to get inspirations for new meals and things you’d like to try, as well as substituting healthy alternatives into your day.
8. Breathe
Most people take breathing for granted because it's just something we do, day and night without even thinking about it. But breath is life!
You can survive a few days without water and longer without food but take the ability to breathe away and you have seconds, so it is vitally important. Deep breathing helps to oxygenate your cells and has been shown that it helps increase energy levels whilst also keeping stress levels under control. Deep abdominal breathing such as yogic breathing helps to reduce heart rate, blood pressure and the stress response and is a wonderful thing to include in your daily life.
As spring arrives it can also bring with it certain environmental allergens so deep breathing is also a wonderful way to clear the lungs and strengthen the respiratory system in order to combat anything that may react inadvertently with your health.
9. Clear The Air
Ensure clean healthy spring air by using a diffuser with some essential oils. Airborne allergens associated with spring together with pollutants and chemicals can have a detrimental impact on both your mind and body. If you are eating fresh, keeping hydrated and exercising, you don't want to ruin it all by inhaling dust particles, allergens and other nasties circulating in the air. Often if you find yourself waking in the morning with a stuffy nose or sneezing, you may be suffering from spring allergies.
Suggested oils that may help include Kunzea, Lavender, Peppermint, Lemon, Coastal Tea Tree and Rosalina. Most of these oils may be used on their own or have fun experimenting by blending a couple together.
2-4 drops of oil in a diffuser is a good amount to begin with and you can also add a couple of drops into the vacuum bag or to water when cleaning the shower recess or even to your washing. Cleanse and rejuvenate.
Here are some diffuser blends you might like to try:
Spring Has Sprung
Now that Spring has officially sprung, you may just naturally feel motivated to spring clean your body, mind, and space. During this time, taking notice of what you need and how you feel is the most important thing.
This year has felt particularly uncertain for many of us, and if your bloom into Spring is taking a little longer than usual, accepting where you’re at is so important. We can look at the start of a new season as a beautiful reset and a time to re-evaluate what we need to thrive and if there are shifts, changes, or support our body is asking us for too.
Enjoy the warmer weather, the longer days, and all that comes with the rebirth stage of our seasonal cycle.
About the Author - Michelle Brass ND
With over 25 years of experience in the natural health industry, Michelle has dedicated her life to helping others embrace the therapeutic benefits of nature. Throughout her time as a health practitioner, she has used and recommended countless traditional and conventional treatments to her clients - as she believes an integrative approach to health and wellness is very important. Michelle is passionate about using and promoting essential oils and, in particular, Kunzea Oil, as she has seen them help thousands of people over the years. She knows that using essential oils in your daily life can help bring balance to the mind, body and soul. She is constantly trialling and testing new products with her loyal clients.
To learn more about Michelle, go to her full bio page.
Medical Disclaimer
All content by Australian Kunzea Pty Ltd, including, text, images, audio, or other formats, were created for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. To read our full medical disclaimer, click here.
References
- Plataforma SINC. How much sun is good for our health?. ScienceDaily, 8 March 2017. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170308083938.htm. Accessed 26 August 2020.
- Roster, C. A., Ferrari J. R. et al. The dark side of home: Assessing possession ‘clutter’ on subjective well-being. Journal of Environmental Psychology. Volume 46, June 2016, Pages 32-41.
- MacDiarmid, J. Seasonality and dietary requirements: Will eating seasonal food contribute to health and environmental sustainability? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25027288/ Accessed 22 August, 2020.
